A truly remarkable man has died. Barbecue legend Latham “Bum” Dennis has gone to his reward. We are the poorer for our loss, but the richer for his life. Bum and his wife, Shirley, founded the restaurant that bears his name in Ayden, North Carolina, back in 1963, and it is one of my all-time favorite barbecue places. Make that one of my all time … Continue reading Rest in Peace, Latham “Bum” Dennis
After our extraordinary breakfast at Valentina’s Tex Mex, Nancy and I headed back to Houston to see Anne Rain, Hunter, and Isabelle. Along the way, Nancy and I stopped and had a walk in Stephen F. Austin State Park. The modest admission was waived for Veterans Day Weekend (you’re quite welcome for my service, such as it was), the weather was beautiful, and the trails … Continue reading Pinkerton’s Barbecue, Houston, Texas
Before I set off for Austin, I shot an email to Daniel Vaughn, the barbecue guru with Texas Monthly and the genius behind the Texas Monthly quadrennial 50 Best issue, and THE authority on all things brisket. Since we’d be there on a Game Day, I wanted to know where we could actually get into a great barbecue place without too awful long a wait, … Continue reading Terry Black’s Barbecue, Austin, Texas
The morning after our wonderful dinner at Rainbow Lodge, Nancy and I rose with the roosters, ready to set out toward Austin to complete our 42nd state capital 10k “volksmarch.” We’d gained an hour by the time zone change, and we’d just left Daylight Savings Time, so getting up early was not a problem. The problem was that I wanted to stop for lunch along … Continue reading The Original City Market, Luling, Texas
I love Demetri’s. I’ve written about Demetri’s before, here. It’s one of my Top Places, and they serve outstanding barbecue and great vegetables. This time, I went to Demetri’s for breakfast. Playboy magazine declared that Demetri’s serves the best breakfast in the United States. I want to make clear that I don’t read Playboy magazine. I never read Playboy, except for the cartoon captions, and … Continue reading Demetri’s, Homewood, Alabama
Ah! Molto bene! Ottimo! After a great lunch at Chef J Nancy and I drove over to the Truman Library in Independence. We are fans of Presidential Libraries, and this one really captured Truman as a person and as a President. The museum was full of reminders of the extraordinary challenges Truman faced — an overflowing plate even by Presidential standards. I especially liked Thomas … Continue reading Garozzo’s Ristorante, Kansas City, Missouri
We all stopped at Wilber’s on our drive home from a week at the beach at Pine Knoll Shores. Nancy, Liza, and I are old hands at Wilber’s. We used to go there on every beach trip after a first lunch at Parker’s. But Wilber’s was new to Michael, Ella, and Lily. We veterans were eager to show it off. Early in 2019 I learned … Continue reading Wilber’s BBQ, Goldsboro, North Carolina
The first thing you do when you go to Sid’s is drive past it. It’s on a street of single family brick houses with nothing but an unassuming sign about two feet square in the middle of the big front yard to mark its location. It’s that white sign in the middle of the yard. It turns out that there’s a sharp turn into a … Continue reading Sid’s Catering, Beulaville, North Carolina
It’s no contest any more. The Captain’s Kitchen serves the Greatest Shrimpburgers Of All Time. The Captain has held the coveted Shrimpburger Championship without serious challenge since 2018, when I first learned of it from nephews Jimbo and Henry Tanner. I’d been searching for the best shrimpburger for years, so I rushed right over. I’d found the best. You’ll recall this comparison from my 2018 … Continue reading The Captain’s Kitchen Shrimpburger: The Greatest Of All Time
There was a time when candidates for office in Virginia wooed Virginia voters with barbecue, beer, and brandy. The voters wisely elected people like Washington, Madison, and Monroe. But where are the barbecues of yesteryear? By the late 20th century, when I moved to Washington, what little “barbecue” there was seemed to be cooked in ovens or crock pots, hardly a diet for another generation … Continue reading Ten Best Barbecue Places in Virginia
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